*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This pierogi dough for Polish dumplings uses potatoes as one of its ingredients.

Leftover mashed potatoes from yesterday's dinner are not a good candidate because they usually contain butter and milk. Those additions will change the consistency of the dough and you will have to make other adjustments like, possibly, adding more flour which can toughen the end product.

Potatoes Used in Every Course in Eastern Europe

People say potatoes were the rise and fall of Ireland, but spuds figure prominently in Central and Eastern Europe as well.

Potatoes (known variously as kartofle, ziemniaki depending on which region you live in) were virtually unknown and sometimes considered poisonous, in Poland until quite a bit after Columbus brought them back from the Americas.

It is believed King John III Sobieski introduced this tuber to Poland in the mid-1600s after tasting them in Vienna. They caught on in a flash because they could be relied on to get people through the winter if grain crops failed.

A combination of the right soil and farming know-how has made Poland one of the top 10 world producers of potatoes. And they show up in every imaginable course, including dessert. Even vodka is made with potatoes. Check out Chopin Vodka, for example.